Revving engines, smoking tires, and high speeds. Car racing enthusiasts and race drivers alike know the thrill of competition, the push to perform better, and the agony - and dangers - of bad decisions. This title explains just what's going on during any race, why, and how a driver can improve control and ultimately win.

In this engaging title, young readers learn about the moving form of energy that is motion! The relationship of mass and acceleration is explained, as are the forces of downforce, updraft, friction, inertia, centripetal force, and the role of aerodynamics in managing these forces. These properties are illustrated by the running of car races. Colorful infographics make internal combustion, mass and acceleration, and centripetal force easily accessible, and prominent contributors such as Junior Johnson and Sir Isaac Newton are featured. A fun experiment with friction brings the science of motion to life! Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Explains the physics of race car driving, focusing on how NASCAR stock cars are engineered and the applications of engine power, aerodynamics, and tire grip capability.

Draws on the author's expertise in physics, as well as interviews with mechanics, pit crews, and other insiders, to trace the life cycle of a race car and offer insight into the scientific aspects of high-speed racing.

Draws on the author's expertise in physics, as well as interviews with mechanics, pit crews, and other insiders, to trace the life cycle of a race car and offer insight into the scientific aspects of high-speed racing, in an account that also explains how drivers survive dangerous accidents. 35,000 first printing.

Learn how things get moving and what makes them stop.

A physicist explores the science of speed racing and the #1 spectator sport in America in the perfect gift for both NASCAR and science fans. Every NASCAR fan—at one time or another—asks the same question: Why isn’t my favorite driver winning? This is your chance to discover how much more there is to NASCAR than “Go fast, turn left and don’t crash.” If you’ve ever wondered why racecars don’t have mufflers, how “bump drafting” works, or what in the world “Let’s go up a pound on the right rear and add half a round of wedge” means, The Physics of NASCAR is for you. In this fast-paced investigation into the adrenaline-pumping world of NASCAR, a physicist with a passion uncovers what happens when the rubber hits the road and 800-horsepower vehicles compete at 190 miles per hour only inches from one another. Diandra Leslie-Pelecky tells her story in terms anyone who drives a car—and maybe occasionally looks under the hood--can understand. How do drivers walk away from serious crashes? How can two cars travel faster together than either car can on its own? How do you dress for a 1800°F gasoline fire? In simple yet detailed, high-octane prose, this is the ultimate thrill ride for armchair speed demons, auto science buffs, and NASCAR fans at every level of interest. Readers, start your engines.